But Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, has now clarified with Midlothian Council that Greens is not moving into the property, but a local family will be in the very near future.

Locals in Pathhead gather outside the home where convicted rapist Robert Greens is expected of being moved to. Picture: Pamela Hunter

Mr Beattie said: “I am glad to be able to put people’s minds at rest. Many concerned residents had rightly contacted me and I had to take action to seek answers.

“When I met with Pathhead residents last night, the strength of feeling clearly indicated that Greens would not be welcome. If he had been moved into this property – with families with young children on either side – it would have been a disaster waiting to happen.

“I raised this urgently with the Council and I can confirm to residents that a local family will be moved into this property.

“The rumour mill had clearly got out of hand but we can be reassured now that, wherever Greens is re-housed, it won’t be in Pathhead.”

Last year, Greens was moved to Castle Huntly open prison near Dundee in preparation for his final release date. He will be monitored for five years – and possibly for longer – if still deemed a risk to the public.

Greens tried to blame the 2005 assault on his identical twin brother but was found guilty after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The horrific crime – described by a judge as “one of the worst cases of rape” ever dealt with at the High Court – saw him attack the 19-year-old Dutch student as she was walking to a friend’s house after getting lost.

He pushed her down a steep embankment, battered her in the face and threatened her with a knife before raping her.

Her injuries were so severe that the woman who found her and the first police officer on the scene both thought she had been in a car crash.

Greens was dubbed the “Da Vinci Code rapist” because of the crime’s location near Rosslyn Chapel, which features in Dan Brown’s 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code and the 2006 film of the same name.

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